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October 1st, 2004.
My 15th birthday.
The day was began like every other: wake up ridiculously early, shovel down a bowl of cereal while mum complained about my messy room, do some last-minute homework before going to school. Mum promised to make her famous chocolate chip cookies we could share that night while watching some cheesy rom-com. We didn't always see eye to eye, but I loved her more than anything.
It was me and her against the world.
I've never met my father, she never mentioned him or her pregnancy in fact. It was a touchy subject she never wanted to bring up, no matter how hard I pushed to find out. How I came to be was always so mysterious to me. I even joked once that I could be part of that academy that was full of "superheroes" and seemed to "save the world" wherever they went - I was born on the same day as them after all. But I never believed in all of that stuff, seemed way too good to be true.
I was pretty happy living a normal life full of normal people.
At school, I had one friend, but one was all I needed. Her name was Elizabeth - Lizzy. She moved from Liverpool down to London with her father when her mum passed away suddenly; we always joked about how she sounded like she could of been one of The Beatles.
She brought a cupcake in for my birthday, double chocolate with buttercream - my favourite. She even snuck in a lighter and candle so I could make a wish, but that didn't end well as we both had to spend our lunchtime in detention when we got caught for having an open flame in the middle of tutor.
Of course the day was a Friday. The one day a week I had to trudge home on my own when Lizzie had her piano lessons.
I hated London, everything about it: The drunks stumbling out of pubs at midday, the endless amounts of tourists, the choking fumes from cars and smokers alike. Worst of all were the lights, always on no matter the time of day, blanketing the city from the outside world and glaring so bright that it hid away the stars - not once in my whole life had I ever seen them in person.
It was about 4:00 in the afternoon when I got home. Mum and I lived in a tiny apartment about a 20-minute walk from school.
"I know not to criticize your baking, but those cookies definitely smell burnt." I joked as I threw my bag down and chucked my keys onto the kitchen counter. I got no answer.
"Mum?" I furrowed my brows, turning to walk into the lounge. "Shit." I whispered.
I'd found her.
There she was, my only family, lying on the floor.
Dead.
Deep scarlet blood spilled out of her from a wound in her chest as she lay there lifeless.
"Hello there, Olive Clarke." A cold voice behind me made me turn around.
A tall woman with platinum-blonde hair stood before me, her tinted-red lips held a sinister smile. In one hand she held a briefcase and she was dressed in the most elaborate clothing I'd ever seen.
"Who the hell are you?" I panicked and grabbed the lamp from the coffee table for self-defence. "H-how do you know my name?"
"There's no need for that, my dear." She spoke again, motioning towards my weapon of choice. "I'm here to help you."
"It was you, you did this." I accused, the anger inside me was brewing.
"You don't know me, but I know all about you." She ignored what I had said as she stepped closer, the sound of her high heels on the wodden floor echoing around the still apartment. "How you've always felt different to everyone... special even."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Except I did.
I knew exactly what she was talking about.
It was true. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it I did feel... different. It was hard to explain.
Whenever I was really angry, or really upset things would happen that I couldn't explain. I thought I was going crazy, that I was seeing things or hallucinating until Mum noticed them too, though we never spoke about it directly. It could be anything: spiders escaping from a crack in the wall, hearing screams from a distant place, even the smell of what I could only imagine were dead bodies. But quick as a flash, they once again disappeared as if they were never there.
"If you come with me..." Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "I can teach you how to manage your powers and use them however you may want."
"No, I'm staying here with Mum, I- I need to call an ambulance." I could feel the tears begin to form as I stumbled my way over to the phone on the wall.
"Your mother is dead, there's nothing you can do. Now come with me." She began to get impatient.
"Tell me why the hell I would-" I was cut off as she grabbed my hand and in a flash of blue I was no longer in my home, but a large, decorated office.
That was the last time I saw London, the last time I saw Lizzie, the last time I saw mum.
